Springwood Forestry, LLC

Landowner Topics

Sustainable Forestry

Sustainable
forestry is a term often used by forest managers and policy
makers to describe the ability of forests to continually provide
for human needs. Since its inception, there has been much
controversy associated with this term, particularly relating to
how it should be defined, measured, and implemented on a local
or national scale. Regardless of how we chose to define it, it
is important to understand that sustainable forestry "is a social process
rather than a forest condition"(Romm, 1994).

Nearly 20 years ago, sustainable forestry originated in response
to a growing global concern for forest conditions and social
well-being. Trends such as global population growth, economic
growth, and increased emphasis on environmental policies and regulations have resulted in
greater demand for forest products. In
North America alone, a net loss of nearly 5 million acres is
expected through 2020 due to conversion to other uses such as
agriculture and urban development (FAO, 2009).

Sustainable forests provide both tangible and intangible
benefits to the landowner as well as to the public. Some
of the more common benefits include forest products, recreation,
aesthetics, wildlife habitat protection, watershed protection,
soil protection and clean air. With over half of the
forestland in the United States being privately owned, our nation's resources
and the quality of life we enjoy now and in the future are heavily dependent on the
decisions landowners make today. Sustainability and
stewardship go hand-in-hand in helping landowners achieve a
healthy forest that can be passed down to future generations
with the assurance that it will remain forested and productive
for years to come.

Similar to other activities, sustainable practices do come
with a price tag. It is important for landowners to understand that
sustainable forest management will require additional investment on their part.
Landowners can offset most of these costs by practicing sound forest management
decisions that generate additional income above current levels.
For landowners who are currently practicing intensive
management, additional thought and planning will help identify
sources of revenue to help pay for these activities.
Landowners may also wish to enroll in Conservation Programs
that help bear these added cost burdens. Some of the more
common programs include payment for ecosystem services and
conservation easements.

The first step toward sustainability is to determine what is
important to you as a landowner (i.e. what should be sustained),
to assess what resources are currently available on your land,
and to develop a written management plan that describes your
objectives and how you plan to implement them. Forest certification programs such as the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) have
developed a set of
predetermined criteria that can help you focus your management efforts. Additional information about
the Tree Farm Program can be obtained from their website by clicking
the following link:
American Tree Farm System.